Wasting food..

I don't just think about my own personal health and fitness when I decide what to eat. The ethics of eating well are important to me. I want my eating habits to NOT hurt this beautiful earth of ours - I don't want to contribute to the chemicals and pesticide use, I don't want animals tortured for my meat, I don't want landfills overflowing, etc.

I think there is a direct correlation between (true) healthy eating and ethical eating.

I think that the healthier you eat (less processed, less junk), the fresher your food has to be. The less packaging will be on your food. The more local your veggies and fruit will tend to be. And so on and so forth.

My groceries are organic when possible. Local when possible. And those "possibles" are pretty damned often once I figured it out. Also - we buy a ton of produce with zero packaging! It compromises most of our diet. And we compost the bits we can't eat.

We rarely go out to eat or get take-out. Because we want to know what we are putting in our bodies (fresh, local, organic, not covered in grease, etc!). So we don't pack our fridge with leftovers and don't throw out tons of Styrofoam containers, etc. We just make food, eat it till it's gone, then go out and buy and make more!

Chris and I buy what we need for a week, with just a touch extra.

We never throw out food. Never.

In the four plus years we have lived together, we have thrown out perhaps half a head of lettuce and maybe a tomato.

My friends were SHOCKED when I told them that. They throw out leftovers and rotten produce and other such items weekly.

I was sad that they were shocked. I was sad they thought it was so hard. I am, at my core, pretty damned lazy. And I manage to do these things.

I don't think it's very hard to eat the food you buy.

Especially if you are buying real food. Real food is meant to be eaten rather quickly. You buy tomatoes or apples, you eat them within a few days. Buy meat, put what you need in the fridge and freeze the rest.

And if you are not eating out a ton, you will ACTUALLY eat the food you bought at the grocery store. Not just leave it to rot.

Having a clean, organized fridge is also a big part of not wasting food to me. I can see everything in my fridge. I know what's in there. Having a clean, organized fridge is good for my mental state as far as healthy eating too - I feel peaceful and calm when deciding what to eat.

I saw this infographic posted on facebook and thought it was perfect:



We should care for ourselves, our bodies and health. And other people's health. And the health of this earth.

It all goes together.

The more we care, the less selfish and pleasure-focused we are, the better.

Hope I don't sound preachy. I know these things are hard - I know it's hard, especially if you are in charge of a large family and life is hectic. But I also think these things are important.

And, if the ethics of it don't matter to you - just imagine the money you will save if you never had to throw away rotten food again!!

General update: weighing in at 121 even this morning. I like that. Still possible to end the year at 119 if I behave at Christmas!!

Namaste <3 (off to my *hopefully* last day of jury duty!!!)